Part 5

All the large forests of South America, from Mexico to the interior of Brazil, are inhabited by this large and formidable Eagle, which, although it occasionally visits the warm valleys interspersed among the mountain ranges, never leaves them to take shelter on the rocky heights by which they are surrounded. Such old writers as have treated of the Natural History of the American continent never fail to mention so destructive a bird, and about its life and habits many strange fables have been invented. Fernandez describes the Harpy as being as large as a sheep, and constantly attacking men; but tells us that notwithstanding its great fierceness it can be tamed and employed in the chase. Mauduyt repeats the above statements, and adds thereto that a Harpy with one blow of its beak, is able to split open a man's skull; stating, moreover, that these birds are much addicted to this exercise of their powers. Modern naturalists have refuted these notions, and we will give, in a small compass, the facts which such men as D'Orbigny and Tschudi have been able to ascertain by their own observations. According to these authorities, the Harpy dwells in the moist, well-watered forests of South America, within the boundaries already indicated, rarely, however, appearing in the depths of these leafy wildernesses, but frequenting the banks of rivers, where an abundance of animal life is always to be met with. In no part of the continent are these birds to be found in great numbers, doubtless owing to the fact that from time immemorial they have been hunted by the natives for the sake of their feathers. Like the Hawk, they are seldom seen on the summits of trees, but sit upon the branches, whence they rise with short, irregular strokes, and fly with arrow-like rapidity when in pursuit of prey, swooping upon it with great force, after describing a few preparatory evolutions.

According to D'Orbigny, these Eagles are of solitary habits, except during the breeding season. From Tschudi we learn that the Harpy is much dreaded by the Indians, owing to its devastating attacks upon their property; indeed, in some woodland districts the inhabitants find it impossible to keep poultry or small dogs, for so bold and audacious are these feathered poachers that they have been known to seize a fine fat hen whilst its owner was standing not a yard from the spot. All such quadrupeds as are not large, or powerfully armed, fall victims to the voracity; and Schomburghk was told by the natives that instances are on record of children having been carried off and devoured. From the same source we learn that the Sloth is sometimes literally torn piece by piece from the branches when it cannot be induced to relax its hold by other means. We need scarcely say that we do not vouch for this latter statement. By the monkey tribes that swarm and gambol in the South American forests, the Harpy is regarded with such dread that, should a frolicsome party be made aware of the approach of their powerful enemy, the terrified creatures at once beat a hasty retreat to the thickest parts of the surrounding foliage, uttering the most pitiful cries as they endeavour to escape from the impending danger, against which all attempts at defence would be useless. The eyrie of the Harpy is built upon lofty trees, and the Indians assert that the same nest is employed for many successive years: the eggs, as far as we can ascertain, have not as yet been found. These remarkable birds are so highly esteemed by the native tribes, that the happy possessor of a live Harpy is regarded with envy and increased respect by his less fortunate neighbours. Upon the women devolves the task of feeding and tending these valuable members of the family party, whose feathers, plucked from the wings and tail twice in the year, afford the owners not only the means of barter for any article they may desire, but are employed as much-coveted decorations for the head-dress and accoutrements of a warrior. In Peru, the hunter who succeeds in capturing a Harpy is allowed the privilege of taking his prize from door to door, to receive such articles as eggs, maize, or poultry, in acknowledgment of his prowess.

Pourlamaque informs us that in the countries watered by the Amazon, the flesh and fat of the Harpy are considered valuable for healing purposes, both by the native and European inhabitants. Many of these birds have been brought alive to Europe, but they never become tame; when confined, they exhibit the most insatiable voracity, devouring every kind of animal food, but preferring to receive their prey whilst it is still alive. They appear to feel no affection towards those that feed them, and are so extremely ferocious that it is impossible to introduce even one of their own kind into the cage that they occupy.

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The SEA EAGLES (_Haliaëtos_) constitute a well-defined group of very large birds, armed with long and powerful beaks, which terminate in an abrupt hook, and rise but slightly above the cere; the tarsi are only partially covered with feathers; the talons are long, sharp, and hooked, and the toes distinctly separate; the wings are large, the third quill longer than the rest, reaching almost to the tip of the broad and more or less rounded tail. The plumage is rich, and usually of a grey colour; the feathers upon the head and nape are only slightly elongated, but terminate in a sharp point; the tail is _usually_, and the head _occasionally_, white.

THE SEA EAGLE.

The SEA EAGLE (_Haliaëtos albicilla_) is met with in large numbers upon all European sea-coasts. This species is at least two and a half, generally three feet long, and from seven to eight feet broad; the wing measures two feet, and the tail one foot. The plumage of the full-grown birds is greyish brown upon the head and throat, the body is fawn colour, the wings tipped with black, and the tail with white. The eyes, beak, cere, and feet are yellow. As the Sea Eagle increases in age, the colours of its feathers fade, until the upper part of the body is white, and the lower portion greyish white. The young birds are principally brown, spotted, or mottled, with white beneath, and have a dark tail.

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The WHITE-HEADED SEA EAGLE (_Haliaëtos leucocephalus_), the North American representative of the species above described, is somewhat smaller than its European congener, its length not exceeding from two feet four inches to two feet eight inches; its breadth is from six feet to six feet nine inches; its wing measures from twenty to twenty-two inches, and tail ten and a half to eleven and a half inches, according to the sex. The plumage of the old bird is dark brown upon the body, each feather being edged with a lighter shade; the head, upper part of the throat, and tail are of snowy whiteness, and the wings black; the eyes, cere, beak, and feet are somewhat paler than in the preceding species. In the young birds the plumage is almost entirely blackish brown, nearly black upon the head, throat, and nape, and presents a lighter appearance upon the back, wings, and breast, owing to the feathers having a white edge. The beak is dark grey, the cere greenish yellow.

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The SEA EAGLE is found throughout the whole of Europe and a large part of Asia; it likewise visits Africa regularly during the winter months. It is certain that more than one species inhabit the European continent, as those found in the more northerly latitudes greatly exceed in size those of Southern Europe. We cannot do better than lay before our readers the description of the habits of this bird as given by Audubon. Near the border of some large stream, "this ruthless tyrant may be seen perched in an erect attitude on the highest summit of the tallest tree, from whence his glistening but stern eye looks down upon the scene beneath. He listens attentively to every sound, glancing now and then around, lest even the light tread of the fawn should pass unheard. His mate is perched on the opposite bank of the river, and, should all be silent, warns him by a cry to remain patient. At this well-known call the male partly opens his broad wings, inclines his body a little downwards, and answers to her voice in tones not unlike the laugh of a maniac; the next moment he resumes his erect attitude, and all is again silent. Ducks of many species, the Teal, the Widgeon, the Mallard, and others, are seen passing and following the course of the current; but the Eagle heeds them not, they are at this time beneath his attention. The next moment, however, the wild trumpet-like scream of a yet distant but approaching swan is heard. A shriek from the female Eagle comes across the stream, for she is fully as alert as her mate. The latter suddenly shakes himself, and with a few touches of his beak arranges his plumage. The snow-white bird is now in sight, her long neck is stretched forward, her eye is on the watch, vigilant as that of her enemy; she approaches, however, and the Eagle has marked her for his prey. As the Swan is passing the dreaded pair, the male Eagle starts from his perch with an awful scream, that to the Swan's ear brings more terror than the report of a gun. Now is the moment to witness the Eagle's powers: he glides through the air like a falling star, and comes upon the timorous quarry, which, in an agony of despair, seeks by various manœuvres to elude the grasp of his cruel talons. It mounts, it doubles, and willingly would plunge into the stream, were it not prevented by the Eagle, which--long possessed of the knowledge that by such a stratagem the Swan might escape him--forces it to remain in the air, by attempting to strike it with his talons from beneath. The poor Swan has now become much exhausted, and its strength fails it; it is almost at its last gasp, when its ferocious pursuer strikes with its claws the under side of its wing, and, with irresistible power, forces the bird to fall in a slanting direction upon the nearest shore. And now the Eagle presses down his powerful feet, and drives his talons deep into the heart of the dying Swan; he shrieks with delight as he feels the last convulsions of his prey, and the female, who has watched every movement of her mate, now sails to the spot to participate in the gory banquet."

Space will not allow us to quote Audubon's description at greater length, and we must, therefore, endeavour to give particulars of the habits of the Sea Eagles in as few words as possible. All the various species of these birds pass their entire lives upon or in the immediate vicinity of the sea-coast, only ranging further inland during the time that elapses between leaving the nest and choosing a mate. As far as we can ascertain it is an extremely rare occurrence to find a pair of Sea Eagles building upon forest trees, even when the latter are situated in well-watered districts, if at any great distance from the sea-coast. Except during the breeding time they are social, and pass the night together, selecting trees, rocks, or, when the weather is warm, small islands as their resting-places. At the first dawn of day the whole party is astir, and hastens at once in pursuit of food, usually preferring such prey as Ducks, Auks, fish, or the smaller Cetaceans. Homeyer mentions having seen these bold and powerful birds overcome a fox, in spite of the cunning usually displayed by the wary quadruped in eluding danger. Sheep and goats are frequently destroyed. The Sea Eagles dive deep into the water to obtain fish, seize young dog-fishes as they swim close to the mother's side, and have been known even to carry off children. In Kamschatka it is not uncommon for these tyrants of the coast to be drawn under water and drowned, whilst contending with a dolphin or sturgeon; Lenz mentions having seen a Sea Eagle on one occasion seize one of the latter, which was too heavy to be raised from the water; all endeavours of the sturgeon to drag its enemy beneath the waves proved fruitless; the bird would not relinquish its hold, and both floated along together, presenting the appearance of a skiff in full sail. At last some men, who had been attracted by so strange a sight, came up to the struggling combatants in a boat, and succeeded in capturing them both.

In comparison with the flight of the True Eagle, the movements of the Haliaëtos in the air are slow and heavy; upon the ground, however, it moves with great facility, and can dive to a certain depth. In the development of its senses it is not inferior to its more noble relatives, but, unlike them, combines so much cruelty and rapacity with its courage as to deprive its disposition of that majesty popularly attributed to the King of Birds. The breeding season commences about March, and though each male has but one mate during its entire life, many and frequent are the battles that arise about the possession of these often very hardly-earned partners. Count Wodzicki gives an interesting account of the pertinacity and fury with which these disputes are sometimes carried on. Two male Eagles, he tells us, that came under his own observation, fought almost incessantly, falling upon each other with beak and claws, and rolling upon the ground until their feathers flew in all directions and blood flowed. During these encounters the female sat apart, and rewarded the victor by her caresses, with the utmost indifference as to which of the two should obtain her for his mate. After a fortnight spent in constant battles, the strongest bird remained for the time in possession of the field, but no sooner did the pair leave their eyrie, after rearing their young family, than the disappointed rival at once renewed his attacks with so much ferocity as to kill his adversary, after a short but severe struggle.

The eyrie of the Sea Eagle is a large structure, from five to seven feet in diameter, and from one and a half to two feet high, formed externally of branches as thick as a man's arm, and lined with twigs; the interior is rendered warm and soft with down plucked from the mother's breast. The brood consists of from two to four eggs, about three inches long; the shell is thick, rough, and coarsely grained, sometimes white without any markings, and occasionally spotted with red or brown. What period of time elapses before the nestlings escape from the egg is not yet known, but it has been ascertained that both parents assist in the work of incubation. The young do not leave the nest until from ten to thirteen weeks after their birth, and even then return to it at night; it is only as autumn approaches that they finally withdraw from parental care. The Sea Eagle is extremely shy, and therefore captured with great difficulty. In Norway small stone huts are erected for this purpose, outside which a piece of flesh, fastened to a string, is laid upon the ground; the other end of the string is held by a man within the hut, who no sooner perceives that his bait is taken, than he draws up the piece of meat, which the bird will not relinquish, and by this means usually succeeds in bringing the huge creature to close quarters, and killing it or making it prisoner. When caged the Sea Eagle soon becomes tame, and learns to distinguish its friends amid a crowd of strangers; indeed, so thoroughly does it accustom itself to its new life, that one with which we were familiar, having escaped from confinement, used to return every day to visit its companions, and was at last re-captured while perched upon their cage. These Eagles have been killed in various counties in England, and are not uncommon in the rocky parts of the western and northern counties of Ireland; they are said to be common in Scotland, and breed in the Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland. Dr. Heysham, in his catalogue of Cumberland animals, says that they breed occasionally in the neighbourhood of Keswick and Ullswater.

THE AFRICAN SCREAMING SEA EAGLE.

The AFRICAN SCREAMING SEA EAGLE (_Haliaëtos vocifer_) is pure white upon the head, throat, nape, and upper part of the breast and tail; the mantle and quills are blueish black; the edges of the wings, and underside of the latter, are of a rich brownish red; the eye-rings, cere, and feet, light yellow; and the beak blueish black. In the young birds the plumage on the upper part of the head is blackish brown, mingled with white; the nape and back of the head, white, intermixed with brownish grey. The upper portion of the shoulders, and lower part of the back, are white, the feathers tipped with brownish-black spots; the front of the throat and upper part of the breast are white, streaked with brown; the rest of the lower portions of the body being entirely white; the quills are brown, and white at the root; the tail-feathers white, spotted and tipped with brown. The plumage is moulted many times before the bird appears in its full beauty. This species is about twenty-eight inches long; the wing measures nineteen and the tail six inches.

The Screaming Sea Eagle was first seen by Le Vaillant in South Africa, afterwards by other travellers in Western Africa, and by ourselves in the interior of that continent, where it appeared to live exclusively upon the banks of the Blue and White Nile. Le Vaillant, on the contrary, found it on the sea-coast, and only exceptionally near large rivers. It is, however, in the primitive forests of Soudan that these beautiful birds are seen in their full glory, and, as they perch side by side among the foliage, afford a spectacle that cannot fail to rivet the traveller's attention, even should he have been long accustomed to the wonders of the African continent. In its life and habits this species resembles its congeners. It lives in pairs, each couple occupying a certain district, usually about half a mile in extent; over this they range from early morning till noon, when they rise into the air and entertain themselves with a variety of evolutions, meanwhile uttering yells that can be heard at a considerable distance. During the afternoon and evening, they sit side by side upon the branch of a tree occasionally bowing their heads, spreading their tails like a fan over the extremities of their wings, and screaming loudly should any strange object appear. Each couple has a favourite resting-place, to which they resort with unfailing regularity. At night they prefer to seek shelter in the inmost recesses of their leafy retreats. We found these birds so entirely without fear at the approach of man as to allow a shot to whistle past them without any indication of alarm: nevertheless, Le Vaillant speaks of them as shy and cautious. The food of the Screaming Sea Eagle consists of fish and carrion, the former is obtained by swooping upon it from a considerable height; the prey is generally carried to the water's edge, and there devoured. We were on one occasion much amused by observing the manner in which a little bird (_Hyas Ægypticus_) assisted in the demolition of a large fish that had been safely landed and stripped of its flesh by one of these Sea Eagles. The small but courageous pilferer ran with the rapidity of lightning to the spot, seized upon a few scraps, and hurried away to devour them at a distance, repeating this operation till its hunger was appeased, the Eagle meanwhile turning its head from time to time to observe its manœuvres, but without making any attempt to interfere with its operations. Towards other birds of prey the Sea Eagle is far from exhibiting this amiable disposition, and usually succeeds in overcoming even the Vulture, should the latter interfere with its prey. In Soudan, the period of incubation commences with the rainy season. The eyrie is built upon high trees, or pieces of rock, and is formed of branches lined with some warm and elastic material; the brood consists of two or three purely white eggs. When caged these birds soon become very tame, and accustom themselves so easily to our climate, that they may be allowed to fly about in the open air.

THE OSPREY.

The OSPREY, RIVER EAGLE, or FISH HAWK (_Pandion Haliaëtos_), although included in this extensive group, may be regarded as forming a connecting link between the Eagles (from which it differs in many essential particulars) and the Kites. In this species the body is comparatively short and powerful, and the head large: the beak rises from immediately beneath the cere, and terminates in a very large hook; the wings, in which the third quill is the longest, extend beyond the by no means short tail. The legs are very robust, and only covered with feathers above the heel; the tarsi are unusually strong, and protected by thick, small scales; the toes, the outermost of which can be turned either backwards or forwards, are short, and armed with short and powerful talons. The plumage of the Osprey is peculiarly smooth and compact; its prevailing colour is yellowish white, marked upon the head and nape with longitudinal blackish brown streaks, the feathers on these parts terminating in sharp points; the rest of the upper part of the body is brown, each feather being bordered with a lighter shade; the tail is brown, striped with black. The under portions of the body are white, or yellowish white; a dark streak passes from the eyes to the middle of the throat, and the breast is adorned either with a collar or shield-shaped patch of brown feathers, which are in some cases distinct, but in others scarcely visible. The eye is bright yellow, the cere and feet lead colour, while the beak and claws are of a brilliant black.